1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an information processing apparatus, its job combining method, a program, and a storing medium and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus for combining a plurality of jobs into one job, its job combining method, a program, and a storing medium.
2. Related Background Art
In a recent information processing apparatus having an image forming apparatus, a storing medium such as memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like of a large capacity is equipped and a plurality of job data are held in the storing medium, thereby enabling the plurality of job data to be managed and processed. Such an information processing apparatus is provided as a computer connected to the image forming apparatus and, further, it is provided as an apparatus which has a scanner function and enables an image or a document to be read and copied, is provided as a printer which is connected to a computer through a cable, a network, or the like and prints a document, an image, or the like formed by various applications on the computer, is provided as a multifunction apparatus having a plurality of functions of them.
Among those information processing apparatuses, there is an apparatus which can print-output various jobs such as different applications and input data in a lump and there is also an apparatus provided with an application having a “collective printing” function of collectively transmitting a plurality of document data as one job to the printer, an application having a “job combining” function of combining a plurality of jobs, thereafter, performing an edition or a preview display, and print-outputting, a driver, or the like. If such a job combining function is used, it is possible to collect various kinds of data and obtain an easy-to-use printed matter as materials for a meeting or materials for presentation.
Generally, a job attribute such as print setting information or the like which is necessary when an image is formed or print-outputted by an image forming apparatus such as a printer or the like has been added to the job. The print setting information is constructed by the following plurality of print setting items: for example, an input/output sheet type; a position of a tray onto which print sheets are ejected; a construction of simplex/duplex printing; the number of print copies; a binding margin; picture quality; a copy-by-copy output; staple; setting of monochromatic/color printing; stamp; and the like.
In the job attribute, only one set of print setting information comprising a plurality of print setting items can be defined for one job and only one job attribute is given to each job.
When the jobs are combined by using the foregoing “job combining” function, if their job attributes are different, there is a case where the job attributes are contrary by a prohibition rule. For example, when a job which has been print-set so as to output only a part of the document data and a job which has been print-set so as to output ten print copies are combined, the job attribute after the job combination cannot be unconditionally set.
Therefore, as disclosed in JP-A-2001-134394, in the conventional information processing apparatus, the job attribute of one of the two jobs is used as a reference and, if the job attribute of the other job to be combined becomes a prohibition rule, a job combining process is executed by a method whereby the combination itself of those jobs is prohibited, a method whereby the job attribute of the other job is forcedly made coincide with the job attribute of the job serving as a reference, a method whereby a user interface is displayed and the user is allowed to execute an operation so as to exchange the order of the jobs, or a method whereby a part of the attribute is changed.
However, the foregoing conventional job combining method has such a problem that in the case where the combination itself of the jobs is disabled, even when only a part of the job attribute becomes a prohibition rule, the combination of the whole job becomes impossible, so that the jobs which can be combined are limited and many jobs cannot be combined.
In the case of forcedly making the job attribute of the other job coincide with the job attribute of the job serving as a reference, there is such a problem that a style of the output which is obtained as a result of the job combination is different from a user's desired style. Further, since the job attribute is forcedly made coincide, there is also such a problem that even if the user tries to add another attribute to the combined job later by using the user interface or the like, a new job attribute cannot be added or the settings become unwilling settings by the prohibition rule with the job attribute added to the job which has already been combined.
For example, in a job in which a document is printed onto a sheet of the “A3” size in the landscape direction and the short side of the sheet is designated as a binding direction and a job in which a document is printed onto a sheet of the “A4” size in the landscape direction and the longitudinal side of the sheet is designated as a binding direction, in the case of combining the jobs by making the binding directions coincident, the sheet of the “A4” size has to be rotated counterclockwise by 90° so as to be matched with the sheet of the “A3” size. Therefore, if the job attribute is forcedly made coincide and the jobs are combined, the jobs of the “A3” size and the “A4” size are combined in the directions of the sheets, so that the binding directions cannot be made coincident. If the sheets are stapled, the stapling is performed in the unwilling positions.
In the case where the user interface is displayed upon job combination and the user is allowed to execute the operation so as to exchange the order of the jobs or change a part of the attribute, the above problems can be solved. However, even in the case of combining the jobs of similar patterns, there is such a problem that the user has to operate every time and it is troublesome. For example, in the case where a job A formed by an application to form an ordinary document and a job B formed by an application to form a document in a presentation format are combined and the printing is executed as one job, if a print mode is changed to a mode of 2 pages/sheet by a page layout function and the jobs are combined, the job of a layout which can be easily seen can be formed. However, when the job combination is performed and the printing is executed, the user has to change the settings every time.
Even in the case where the most suitable layout is set when the jobs A and B are combined, its know-how cannot be stored as data. Even in the case where the binding directions are matched and the job combination is performed as mentioned above, there are cases where the user wants to combine the jobs by matching the binding directions and when the user wants to combine the jobs without purposely matching the binding directions. Therefore, the user has to confirm the types of jobs to be combined every time and combine them.
Further, there is such a problem that the previous job has already been stored in an HDD or the like in the printer and if the user wants to combine a new job with such a job, change the job attribute of the print settings, and output the job, after the user outputted the job to be combined on a computer side, he has to go to a place in front of the printer, combine such a job, change the job attribute, and output the job.